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France confirms death of Al-Qaida chief Abou Zeid

PARIS — France says Al-Qaida-linked North African warlord Abou Zeid was killed in combat with French troops in Mali in February.

In a statement Saturday the office of French President Francois Hollande said the death was "definitively confirmed" and that Zeid's death "marks an important step in the fight against terrorism in the Sahel."